Gazelle
by Happynomnom
Summary: It wasn't until he heard a soft thump and a light weight straddling his back, along with the sharp edge of a knife pressing against his throat did he finally begin to worry. "Give me all your money, baldy," a soft, feminine voice hissed in his ear. A story on how Valentine met Gazelle, with the help of two cheeseburgers and a Happy Meal toy. Rated T for swearing.
1. Chapter 1

_I've always wondered how Valentine met Gazelle. So I thought, heck, why not write it out? So here it is, folks. Hopefully you'll enjoy it and not die of boredom. XD _

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_Disclaimer: __I don't own Kingsman in any sort of way. _

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**Chapter One-**

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The cool, autumn evening wind swept across the grass, causing dead leaves to flutter and swirl about. Richmond savoured the fresh air, enjoying the sound of the leaves crunching beneath his feet. Stuffing a hand into his pocket, he began whistling a cheerful tune as he strolled out of the city park and across an intersection.

Cars flew past him, their drivers eager to get home after a long day at work. People bustled past him, their briefcases and bodies occasionally ramming into him. He marveled at how they kept their heads down, how they tried to remain in their own little bubble.

A few moments later, he bounded up a set of steps, pushing open the door and sighing contentedly as a blast of warm air hit his face. He inhaled the intoxicating aromas of fries before ambling into line behind the cashier. He waited patiently as a beefy, red-faced man got into a loud argument with the employee. Something about no bacon in his burger. When it was Richmond's turn, he leaned against the counter with a big smile, and placed his order.

"Two cheetheburgerth with thecret thauce, pleathe. And a happy meal toy, don't care which one. Take out." He paid, dropping each coin onto the counter individually. The cashier gave him a sharp look and his grin got wider. He gave her an extra four dollars, and insisted she keep the change. She shrugged nonchalantly, but returned his smile.

As Richmond walked out of the McDonald's, he rolled the paper bag tighter, gripping it. The crinkle was so satisfying that he flattened the top of the bag out before doing it again. And again. It became a rhythm that matched with each step he took. He was so distracted that he didn't notice the direction he had been heading in- essentially, the wrong one. Stopping, he surveyed the area, looking for some sign of where he was. He was in a dark side street. He shrugged, before continuing in the same direction as before. It was good to get away from the hustle and bustle of life and just take a nice refreshing walk. Who gave a fuck? He'd get somewhere familiar eventually, surely.

It wasn't until he heard a soft thump and a light weight straddling his back, along with the sharp edge of a knife pressing against his throat did he finally begin to worry.

"Give me all your money, baldy," a soft, feminine voice hissed in his ear.

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**Thanks for reading, hope you liked it! I haven't seen any fanfics about Gazelle and Valentine, which is the main reason I decided to make one. So, what did you think? Post a review- always super appreciated. If interest is shown, I'll post more. :D**

**-happynomnom**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two-**

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"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What the fuck? Hold on a thecond there." He spun around, trying to get a view of what- or rather, who, was on his back. The only thing he could see were the small hands gripping the knife and the small legs that were wrapped around his torso. The knife pressed deeper into his throat, sending a sudden bout of nausea at the thought of blood. "Okay, okay." He thrust a hand into his jeans pocket. "Oh thyit, I gave thothe exthtra four dollarth to the nithe lady at McDonald'th." There was a moment of dead silence. "Do you want my McDonald'th inthtead? There'th a toy inthide too."

"McDonald's?" the girl asked cautiously.

"What, have you never had McDonald'th?" Richmond asked skeptically. "Are you crathy?" He handed her the bag. "Here, have it." When she didn't move, he sighed. "Come on, I ain't gonna hurt you. Promith. There're two cheethburgerth." When she still didn't budge, he thought of an idea.

He began to spin around, the wind whooshing past him. He let out a laugh, spinning faster and faster until he felt like he wasn't spinning at all. The little girl on his back let out a shriek in his ear- which quickly turned into a mad giggle. The giggle turned into a cackle, and it interwove with the sounds of Richmond's own laughter. Finally, when he felt like he was going to vomit, he slowed down, stumbling across the dark alleyway. His head was reeling and his stomach twisting, but he knew he had succeeded when he heard the girl still snickering. The sharp edge previously pressing against his skin was gone as well.

"You're crazy," she muttered. "Crazy, crazy bald guy." In a flash, the knife was at his throat once again. "And I still want your money." Richmond sighed.

"I thwear, I don't have any left. You can check."

"Face the wall with your hands up," she commanded. He obliged. A moment later he felt the body slide down a foot before the weight lifted and she jumped to the ground. He felt a small hand rifle through his jacket pocket and all four of his pant pockets. The only thing she could find was a small candy.

"You can have that if you want," Richmond murmured. "They're _really _thour though." He heard the rustle of the wrapper as she unwrapped the sweet and popped it into her mouth. He waited in anticipation. Suddenly, she let out a little yelp. Richmond kept his face pressed to the wall, but he could easily hear her hopping about, trying to quell the bitter taste assaulting her young taste buds. After a minute, the girl couldn't stand it anymore and spit it out. The candy clattered across the pavement, echoing loudly.

"Yucky," she whimpered.

"I told you tho!" he laughed. "I imported thpethially." He bit his lip, holding in laughter. When he finally was able to control himself, he waited a moment before speaking. "Can I go now?"

"Yeah, I guess so," she sighed defeatedly. Richmond turned around.

He was surprised to find how young she was- she couldn't have been older than eight. Her long black hair was tied up with a broken rubber hand, and she was awfully thin. Hunger had hollowed out her high cheekbones. Her dark eyes surveyed him. He could see the spark of intelligence in them. She wore a dirty looking pair of jeans and small boots, along with a tattered looking black sweater. The sweater hanged around her skinny figure, at least two sizes too large.

"Where'th your mommy?" he asked quietly. She looked up at him with her big, sad eyes, shaking her head.

"Bye bye," she called, before sprinting away, the McDonald's clutched in her fist. Richmond stood, watching her dart deeper into the alley.

That night, when he finally arrived home, he had a hard time sleeping. After tossing and turning for hours on end, he eventually gave up. Lying on his back, he thought about his encounter with the girl- how underfed she was, how quickly and easily she had snuck up on him, how comfortable with the knife she had been… And most of all, if she was lonely. The look she had given him when asked about her mother sent chills up his spine. It reminded him of how he felt all those years ago… long before he graduated university. Apparently the girl's mother was gone, dead maybe. Did she have a father? Sisters or brothers? Friends? Richmond shook his head, trying to clear the sound of her laughter in his ear as he spun her around.

An hour later, at seven a.m., he threw the covers off his bed and got dressed. He told his chauffeur to drive him to the McDonald's, where he bought a Happy Meal. Grasping it, he told his driver to wait for him. A while later, he arrived at the alleyway where he had first met the girl, only just realizing he had memorized the location.

Placing the food on the ground beside him, Richmond Valentine slid to the cold pavement, and waited.

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**Sorry if Valentine's lisp is annoying. XD  
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**Theoretically, this story is going to start from where it is now and go right about up to the events pre-Eggsy. Like, B.E. (before Eggsy). **

**Thanks for reading! Criticism, ideas, and/or advice are always appreciated. :)**

**-happynomnom**


	3. Chapter 3

_AN: I decided to leave out Valentine's lisp… it was getting annoying writing it out, and I'm sure readers find it annoying as well… so yeah. ENJOY!_

**Chapter Three-**

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"Baldy," a voice murmured from in the shadows. Turning his head towards the sound, Valentine smiled.

"Hungry? I got you a Happy Meal." He held up the bag, giving it a little shake. "It'll get cold soon." The girl padded silently towards him, taking the bag from him with two hands and hugging it against her chest. She watched him curiously.

"Why are you back? Did you bring more candy?" she asked. Her english wasn't very good- her thick accent caused the words to blur slightly.

"Nuh-uh," he replied, shaking his head. He got up from where he was sitting, dusting himself off. "I just thought you might be hungry." He realized that had been the wrong thing to say the second it came out of his mouth. Her expression turned hostile, and she backed away from him.

"I don't need your help."

"Woah," he backtracked, holding his hands up in surrender. "I never said you did. I just thought you might want a snack or something." When she continued to glare at him, he sighed. "Listen to me. When I was five years old, my momma died. My daddy left her before I was born. I had a younger brother to take care of. We were dirt poor." Richmond wasn't completely sure why he was telling her all this, but it felt good to share it… maybe she'd be able to relate to him. "And when my momma died, we had nothing. We lived on the streets, my brother and I, scavenging for food… like animals, or something." She took a step closer to him, enraptured. "But then… one day, we met this guy. He was tall and thick, and he had arms _this_ big," Richmond continued, spreading his hands out to show the size. The girl giggled slightly. "He took one look at us and picked both of us in his big arms and carried us to his house." He sighed, shaking his head in wonder. "There, he cared for us, fed us _loads, _and gave us a roof over our heads." Richmond squatted on his knees, taking her little hands in his, the McDonald's bag clenched between them. "And look where I am now?"

"Standing in an alley with me with a bag of McDonald's," she replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Exactly!" he exclaimed. "Do you know Oprah?" She shook her head. "Damn, I have to show her to you. She's fucking awesome, man. Anyways, do you know what she said once?"

"What?"

"You get in life what you have the courage to ask for." He looked her in the eye. "So don't be afraid to ask for help. Okay?" She frowned, thinking. Finally, she nodded.

"Okay." He straightened, letting go of her hands, only to hold out his right for her to shake again.

"I never introduced myself. Richmond Valentine. And you are?"

"I don't have a name," she whispered. "But… I call myself Gazelle." And when the word left her mouth, Valentine could easily see the resemblance. He smiled, letting his hand transfer to her shoulder.

"Hey, listen. Even though I love McDonald's, it isn't _that _healthy for you. I'm taking you out for dinner tomorrow night, okay?" Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Really?"

"Yeah, of course. We can go shopping as well."

"Sh… shopping?" she whispered, eyes sparkling with delight. Even the sun seemed to shine a little brighter. Richmond chuckled.

"Hell yeah." He winked at her. "I'll be here at four o'clock tomorrow. Don't be late." With that, he turned out of the street and headed back to where his limo was waiting.

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**Next time- Valentine takes Gazelle shopping… and says she can have whatever the fuck she wants. Not the best idea, especially when they pass by a culinary shop that sells very, very, very sharp knives… XD**

**Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for the reviews and follows and favs. **

**Also- this story will go pretty much up to only a few years B.E. (before Eggsy) and ail include how she got those damn fine legs. XD**

**Stay tuned.**

**-happynomnom**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four-**

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"I've never been to a shopping mall," Gazelle whispered, eyeing the man sitting across from her. She brushed a hand lightly on the leather seat, marveling at the smooth texture and strong smell. She had hardly believed her eyes when Richmond had stepped out of the long black limo, and the chauffeur had opened the door for her. She felt out of place among all the luxury. She glanced at her tattered sweater, and picked some of the lint off before scolding herself. There was no reason to be ashamed.

"Well then, it's your lucky day, isn't it?" Richmond replied with a big grin. He looked like a little kid on Christmas morning. "You can have whatever you want, okay? My treat."

"Anything?" she asked doubtfully.

"Anything," he confirmed.

"What if it's a thousand dollars?"

"What do you mean, what if it's a thousand dollars?" He chuckled. "Stop asking questions, girl."

"Okay," she replied quietly.

A half hour later, they arrived at the massive shopping mall in downtown. Gazelle pressed her face against the glass, craning her neck for a better view. The driver dropped them off at the front entrance, and Valentine opened the door for the girl. She hopped out.

They entered the mall, the air cool against their skin. She gaped at the enormity of it.

"Have you never been to a shopping mall?" Richmond asked incredulously.

She shook her head quickly.

"Well then… let's start… here," he decided, putting a light hand on her shoulder and guiding her towards a nearby _Gap_. An employee folding clothes gave them a bright smile as they entered. Valentine walked up to her.

"Hi there, how are you?" she asked.

"Good thanks. We want some new clothes for this young lady, please."

"Sure! What kind, hon?" she asked Gazelle.

"Uh…" Gazelle trailed off, at lost for words. "Nice ones?" Valentine and the lady chuckled.

"Sure, sweetie," she said with a smile. "I'm Sarah, by the way."

Fifty minutes later, Gazelle and Valentine stood at the cashier. The countertop was laden with clothes. Admittedly, Richmond had tried to get what he called a dope-ass hat on her, but she blatantly refused. She liked one outfit so much that Sarah simply cut the tags off of the clothes after they had been purchased, and after bidding farewell, Gazelle strode confidently out of the store in her new outfit.

"Gazelle, I need to make a few phone calls," Valentine told her. He glanced around him, seeing a video store nearby. "Go pick out a movie or something, okay? We can watch it at my house afterwards."

"I'm going to your _house?" _Gazelle asked.

"Well, duh. I ain't gonna just ditch you later." He gave her a grin and handed her his credit card. "Knock yourself out, kiddo. I'll wait here until you're done, and vice versa, okay?" She nodded and meandered into the store, examining the shelves of movies, music, and video games.

"Woah," Gazelle mumbled to herself as she stepped into an aisle stocked with cartoons on the right side and nasty, bloody looking DVD's on the left. She took a hesitant step, eyes darting to the cartoons briefly before grabbing a movie titled Battle Royale and stuffing it underneath her new sweater, afraid of anyone catching her holding it. It was unrated.

She'd seen an advertisement recently- and she knew she just _had _to watch it. Just for good measure, she ran back to the same aisle and grabbed a cartoon movie with a cat and a mouse on it- called Tom and Jerry. She brought them up to the cashier.

The employee raised an eyebrow, looking condescendingly at her through his glasses. She held out the credit card and he gave her a suspicious look. She smiled innocently.

"I'm getting Tom and Jerry!" she declared.

"Uh huh," he muttered. She beamed. Inside though, she thought of the different ways she could incapacitate him. But there was little an eight year old could do in the current situation, so she played dumb.

"The scary looking movie's for my brother," she explained, rambling. "I don't like scary movies, you know. Mommy says that she used to be scared as well." He rolled his eyes, scanning the discs and placing them in a bag for her. She pocketed the credit card. "Thanks, mister."

She skipped out of the store.

Oh boy, she couldn't wait to watch the bloody movie with Valentine. He'd love it, she was sure.

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**P.S. Gazelle doesn't know about Valentine's... sensitivity... to blood. At least, not yet... XD **

**Hope you enjoyed it, thank you for the reviews! Leave a comment if you have a request or anything to say at all!**

**Sorry about the hiatus on this story, I've been working on a lot of other ones, and also... exams and summative assessments. Urgh.**

**-happynomnom**


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